was alone to be tolerated. But such an absurd intolerant clause as this in any of the new independent states of Mexico, cannot long be in force in the vicinity of such a free government as that of the United States, as such an act would exclude all but Roman Catholic emigrants,-whereas all are made equally welcome to the United States. In 1825, captain Sedgewick, of Russelville in Kentucky, obtained a grant from the Mexican government of from 6 to 8 millions of acres, in this province, alongst the borders of Louisiana. One principal condition was inserted in this grant, that a certain number of the colonists should be free from all taxes for five years. The capital of Texas under the old government was San Antonio de Bejar, on a small stream of the same name, and contained, according to Pike, about 2,000 souls; but the present capital, Saltitto, on the confines of Coahuila and New Leon, is said to contain 8,000 souls. Its site is bad, being surrounded with arid plains, where the traveller suffers much from want of water. The western part of Texas is inhabited entirely by Spaniards. The soil is excellent, and all the habitations are watered by artificial canals, which cause the waters of the Rio de Nueces and neighbouring springs to irrigate the gardens and fields. THE REPUBLIC OF GUATEMALA. GUATEMALA, or the Federal Republic of Central America, as it is called in its constitutional acts, was formerly a division of the viceroyalty of Mexico. It raised the standard of independence on the 24th of June, 1823; and the union formed under this title embraces the five states of Costa-Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and San Salvador. In consequence, perhaps, of its being the youngest born of the transatlantic republics, it has not yet attracted the notice of writers. Isolated in the midst of the new world, and without commercial relations, in consequence of its harbours being closed, this beautiful country, as an elegant writer of Guatemala expresses himself, was, until it elevated itself to the rank of an independent state, a rose shut up in its bud. At present, not only by reason of its new political aspect, but also on account of its valuable and multifarious productions-to say nothing of its extent-it demands a distinct place in the geography of America, and forcibly invites the attention of the commercial world. Name and History.] The kingdom of Guatemala "received its name from the word Quauhtemali, which, in the Mexican language, means a decayed log of wood, because the Mexican Indians who accompanied Alvarado, found, near the palace of the kings of Kachiquel, an old wormeaten tree, and gave this name to the capital." Such is the statement adopted by Don Domingo Juarros, in his history of the kingdom of Guatemala, as the true origin of the name. Some writers, however, he tells us, have derived it from Uhatezmalha, which signifies, in the Tzendale dialect, a mountain that throws out water, "alluding, doubtless, to the mountain on the skirts of which the city of Guatemala was built." Another etymology is given by Francisco de Fuentes y Gusman, who derives the name from Coctecmalan, signifying 'milk-wood,'-a peculiar tree found only in the neighbourhood of the supposed site of the original capital, where now stands the village of Tzacualpa. Lastly, Juarros suggests, that the word may possibly be merely a corruption of the name of Juitemal, the first king of Guatemala, as Quiche was named from Nimaquiche, and Nicaragua from the cacique of the same name. The principal part of Guatemala was conquered in 1524 by Pedro de Alvarado, who found the country in the possession of above 30 different tribes, each governed by their own chief, and exhibiting distinct languages and manners. Most of these tribes were ultimately persuaded to embrace the profession of Christianity; but the Mosquitos and Poyaise, located in the eastern parts of the country adhered to the religion of their forefathers. The Mexican or Aztec language is spoken by the Pipil Indians, who are settled along the coasts of the Pacific, and by some other tribes; besides this, no fewer than 24 dialects, peculiar to Guatemala, are still said to be spoken, the names of which are, the Quiché, the Kachiquel, the Zutugil, the Mam, the Pocomam, the Pupuluca, the Sinca, the Chorti, the Alaguilac, the Caichi, the Pochonchi, the Ixil, the Zotzil, the Tzendal, the Chapaneca, the Zoque, the Coroh, the Chanabal, the Chol, the Uzpanteca, the Lenca, the Aguacateca, the Quecchi, and the Nahuate or Pipil. The Maya language is also spoken in Chiapa. "It is true," says Don Domingo Juarros, "there is a strong resemblance between some of the idioms; and the Indians of one tribe can understand those of another from analogy: these instances, however, are not very frequent, nor can the intercourse be maintained with sufficient clearness and precision to enable them to traffic with each other readily and satisfactorily." The learned Don labours with patriotic solicitude to show, that his country was never subject to the Mexican sovereigns. The proofs he adduces are, first, that the Mexicans always compelled the inhabitants of the countries they conquered to adopt their language, but the Aztec is not the prevailing language in Guatemala; secondly, that at the time of the conquest, the Spaniards found no open road from Mexica to Chiapa, but only narrow paths, in many places overgrown by vegetation. According to the tradition recited by the historian himself, the Tulteca or Toltec Indians, the most powerful and civilized of all the nations of Guatemala, came originally from the neighbourhood of Tula, in the kingdom of Mexico. This emigration took place by direction of an oracle, in consequence of the great increase of the population, in the reign of Nimaquiche, the fifth king of the Tultecas. "In performing this journey, they expended many years, suffered extraordinary hardships, and wandered over an immense tract of country, until they discovered a large lake, (the lake of Atitan,) and resolved to fix their habitations in a convenient place at a short distance from it, which they called Quiche, in commemoration of their king Nimaquiche (Quiche the Great,) who died during their peregrination." The time of this emigration, it is, of course, impossible to ascertain with precision. Nimaquiche was succeeded by his son Acxopil, from whom Kicab Tanub, the contemporary of Montezuma II., was the 14th in succession who reigned in Utatlan, the capital of Quiche. We believe that no Spanish colony was ever established with a less effusion of blood than that of Guatemala; and the praise of this is due to the celebrated Dominican, Las Casas, who accompanied the conquerors in their expedition against this country. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Guatemala was greatly harassed by English and Dutch privateers, and by the inroads of the Mosquitos and Poyaise. These fierce aboriginals maintained an unrelenting struggle with their Spanish neighbours, while they freely permitted the English to form settlements upon their coast. The celebrated Poyaise scheme of the pseudo-cacique MacGregor, and its melancholy results, are yet fresh in the recollection of our readers. On the fall of Iturbide, the Guatemalans declared themselves independent, and erected a federal republic, the constitution of which will be afterwards related. The discovery which was made in this country, in the neighbourhood of Palenque, about the middle of last century, of the ruins of a town nearly 18 miles in circumference, with various monuments and other antiquities, has led some antiquarians to conjecture that the ancient inhabitants of Guatemala must have held very direct relations with the known nations of antiquity, especially the Egyptians.-Under the Spanish government, Guatemala formed a captain-generalship independent of the other governments and vice-royalties of Spanish America, and divided into the following 15 provinces: Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, Ciudad-Real, Comayagua, Costa-Rica, Its ecclesiastical constitution bishops. Escuintla, Quezaltenango, Suchiltepec, Totonicapan, comprehended one archbishop, and three Boundaries and Extent.] This country is situated between the 8th and 18th parallels of northern latitude. Its shores are washed by the sea of the Antilles on the N.E., and the Great Southern or Pacific ocean on the S.W. On the N.W. it is bounded by the Mexican territories, and on the S.E. by those of Columbia. The frontier-line betwixt Guatemala and Columbia runs from S.S.W. to N.N.E. Commencing at Point Burica, on the Southern ocean, it cuts the central Cordillera in Mount Varu, and runs on to Cape Careta on the sea of the Antilles, or Caribbean sea. The frontier towards Mexico commences between Tonala and Estepec on the Southern ocean, and runs from S. to N. until it reaches Chiapa; it then turns to the E., and after many sinuosities of course, it joins the Caribbean sea on the embochure of the Sibon. Its course is determined throughout a considerable part of its extent by the courses of the rivers Zodales and Samasinta. Its greatest extent is measured by a line running from N.W. to S.E., being about 1,118 miles; its greatest breadth is betwixt Cape Gracias-a-Dios and Cape Desolada, being 403 miles; its narrowest admeasurement is towards its S.E. extremity, where it does not exceed 93 miles across. The superficial extent of Guatemala is, according to Humboldt, 26,152 leagues of 25 to a degree, or 200,499 British square miles. Hence this republic is larger than Spain in Europe, or Chili in the new world. Coasts.] The most northern portion of the S.W. coast forms with that of Mexico the gulf of Tehuantepec; passing to the S. we find the port of Guatemala, the cape De los Remedios and the gulf of Fonseca, which embraces a number of little islands. The gulfs of Papagayo, and Nicoya or Salinas, bounds the peninsula which terminates to the S.E. in Cape Blanco; and the gulf of Dolce opens towards the Columbian coast. On the Caribbean coast we find the gulf of Honduras, which forms a minor gulf, extending N.E. to the cape of the Three points. Going eastward the bay of Truxille presents itself, and farther on that of Cartago. We then meet with Cape Gracios-a-Dios, Sable bay, the lagune De Perlas, the bay of Blewfields, and the gulf of Matina, all belonging to the great Mosquito bay. An infinite number of little islands are sprinkled along the coast among the most considerable of these are Terranova, Poatan, and Guanaja, at the entrance of the gulf of Honduras. Mountains and Volcanoes.] A chain of mountains, a prolongation of the cordillera of the Andes, enters by the S.E. frontier, and traverses the whole of this region, contracting and expanding its branches with the breadth of the country. In Veragua, the most S.E. province of Guatemala, the chain called Sierra de Canatagua runs in a line directly contrary to that of the Andes, and may be regarded as a great natural boundary between North and South America. The chain of Guatemala, jagged with volcanic cones, of which above 35 have been enumerated, runs along the western coast from the lake of Nicaragua towards the bay of Tehuantepec. In the province of Sonsonate, this chain is denominated Sierra de Apaneca. The most southern volcano is that of Barua or Varu. There are 3 volcanoes in a state of activity on the southern shore of the lake of Nicaragua; and to the N. of that lake several others exist, of which the most active is that of Malaya. The Isalco rises near St Salvador, and is distinguished by its successive eruptions in 1798, 1805, and 1807. In the environs of Guatemala we remark the volcanoes of Aqua and Fuego, the former occupying the summit of one of the loftiest mountains of central America, its height, according to Mr Hall, being 14,760 feet. The volcano of Soconusco in 15° 59′ N. lat. terminates the Guatemala series of volcanoes.2 2 We must regard the central chain of Guatemala as forming the division betwixt the great basins of the Caribbean sea and the Pacific; and it has frequently been proposed to open a communication betwixt the Atlantic and Pacific ocean by cutting across this barrier. Were such a work executed on an adequate scale, the benefit to the whole commercial world would be immense; not only would the coast-navigation of the American continent be prodigiously facilitated, but a new line of transit attended with so many advantages, as would give it a decided superiority over the present line, would be opened betwixt Europe and India. If the China and fur-trade were directed through this channel, there would be at least six weeks sailing saved on the passage, that is, about 3000 miles in southing, and nearly as much on the east and west-tacking: there being in such a case no need to stand into southern latitude at all, and the passage being nearly or comparatively parallel. We are told, indeed, by some writers, that the shores of Columbia and Chili are exceedingly dangerous to navigators, on account of the papagayos, or violent winds which prevail during great part of the year, and that the eastern coast in particular is totally destitute of good harbours or anchorage; but with regard to the dangers of navigation in this quarter, we believe that, in the experience of navigators, they are not nearly so formidable as have been represented. There is always good sea-room; violent periodical winds are never felt before the middle of July, nor after the close of September; the weather is remarkably steady in the Caribbean sea; and there are in fact more places of shelter on the east coast than on the west. Vessels lying in Chagres are completely sheltered from the N. E. or prevailing wind; and on the approach of a hurricane can run up the river so as to be quite secure. Porto Bello has a rather difficult entrance, but affords good protection to vessels. There is always sea-room in the gulf of Mexico; and there are a number of excellent harbours on the Florida coast. As to the best point of junction betwixt the two oceans, considerable diversity of opinion exists. M. Humboldt has enumerated no fewer than nine different places at which the attempt might be made with every prospect of success; and five of these have been considered practicable by Mr Pitman in his Succinct View,' published in 1825. One of these, by the great lake of Nicaragua, nearly under the parallel of 12° 13', has attracted the peculiar notice of the North Americans; and we believe a joint-stock company was formed in New York about five years ago, for the purpose of executing a grand junction-canal in this quarter, with the consent of the Guatemala government; but the scheme has since been given up, on account of the immense expense with which it was evident it must have been attended. There is reason, however, to believe that the government of the United States has its eye still directed towards this quarter; and a canal here would certainly be attended with peculiar advantage to the North Americans. To understand the line proposed here, let it be observed that the great lake Nicaragua joins on the one side with the lake of Leon, stretching to near the shores of the Pacific, and communicates on the other, by the river San Juan, with the Caribbean sea. But the latter river is unfortunately not navigable to any distance from its mouth-if the report of disinterested travellers may be credited-neither is the small river Tosta, which flows on the other side of the continent, near the lake of Leon, into the Pacific; so that to complete the navigation betwixt the two seas, a very considerable distance would require to be cut; besides, the navigation of the lake Nicaragua is highly intricate and dangerous. M. Humboldt suggests that the lake Leon might be avoided altogether by drawing a canal from the larger lake to the gulf of Papagayo. And it is somewhat curious that the old maps indicate a communication between the Nicaragua and the Pacific to have once existed hereabouts. If we are rightly informed, however, the high volcanic ridge, which here runs between the interior lake and the ocean, would render any attempt to carry a canal across the isthmus in this quarter exceedingly difficult. The projectors of a grand canal for ships of all dimensions, by the river St Juan, and the lake of Nicaragua, are probably not aware of the difficulties to be encountered in making and maintaining such a line of communication, which may be judged of from the following particulars, and the result of the military operations which were formerly carried on in that quarter. In 1779, Spain having joined France in abetting the revolt of the British colonies in North America, measures of retaliation were adopted |